Program provides free gun locks

Beth Slovic

Thursday, Jan. 27, 2005 | 9:36 a.m.

A program of the National Shooting Sports Foundation has distributed more than 170,000 gun locks for free in Nevada during the past two years, group officials said Wednesday.

The gun locks, which look like small cable bike locks, have the potential to save lives, a spokewoman for the program said. When used properly, a gun lock can prevent anyone who does not have a key to the lock from loading and shooting a gun.

This feature, group officials said, is especially important in preventing children from accidentally harming themselves or others.

Nationwide since Sept. 2003, Project Child Safe, the program organized by the sports foundation, has distributed more than 20 million gun locks and safety brochures across the country. With an additional $30 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Justice, Project Child Safe representatives hope to distribute 12 million more by August.

In Nevada, there are 33 distribution sites. To find one close to home, gun owners can click on the "how to receive a free safety kit" icon on the group's Web page, www.projectchildsafe.org. The locks can be used on long guns, hand guns and rifles.

"Since there's no cost, there's no reason not to have one," Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt, who attended the press conference, said. "It could prevent a lot of tragedies in a lot of homes."

Last year, several children were injured or killed when other children fired unlocked guns.

On March 29, 2004, a boy shot and killed his 14-year-old sister when he was playing with a gun belonging to his brother-in-law.

And on April 4, a northeast Las Vegas boy was shot in the stomach by a friend and survived.

In one year alone, the Nevada Highway Patrol has given out 4,800 free gun locks -- no questions asked -- at their office at 2601 E. Sahara Ave., Trooper Angie Chavera said.